1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1 Thessalonians 2

1 In what manner the Gospel was brought and preached to the Thessalonians, and in what sort also they received it. 18 A reason is rendered both why Paul was so long absent from them, and also why he was so desirous to see them.

2:1 For you yourselves 846 know 3609a, brethren 80, that our coming 1529 to you was not in vain 2756,

2:2 but after we had already 4310a suffered 4310a and been mistreated 5195 in Philippi 5375, as you know 3609a, we had 3955 the boldness 3955 in our God 2316 to speak 2980 to you the gospel 2098 of God 2316 amid 1722 much 4183 opposition 73.

2:3 For our exhortation 3874 does not [come] from error 4106 or 3761 impurity 167 or 3761 by way 1722 of deceit 1388;

2:4 but just 2531a as we have been approved 1381a by God 2316 to be entrusted 4100 with the gospel 2098, so 3779 we speak 2980, not as pleasing 700 men 444, but God 2316 who examines 1381a our hearts 2588.

2:5 For we never 3777 4218 came 1096 with flattering 2850 speech 3056, as you know 3609a, nor 3777 with a pretext 4392 for greed 4124—God 2316 is witness 3144—

2:6 nor 3777 did we seek 2212 glory 1391 from men 444, either 3777 from you or 3777 from others 243, even though as apostles 652 of Christ 5547 we might have asserted 1510 922 our authority 922.

2:7 But we proved 1096 to be gentle 2261 among 1722 3319 you, as a nursing 5162 [mother] tenderly 2282 cares 2282 for her own 1438 children 5043.

2:8 Having 3655b so 3779 fond 3655b an affection 3655b for you, we were well-pleased 2106 to impart 3330 to you not only 3440 the gospel 2098 of God 2316 but also 2532 our own 1438 lives 5590, because 1360 you had become 1096 very 27 dear 27 to us.

2:9 ¶ For you recall 3421, brethren 80, our labor 2873 and hardship 3449, [how] working 2038b night 3571 and day 2250 so 4314 as not to be a burden 1912 to any 5100 of you, we proclaimed 2784 to you the gospel 2098 of God 2316.

2:10 You are witnesses 3144, and [so is] God 2316, how 5613 devoutly 3743 and uprightly 1346 and blamelessly 274 we behaved 1096 toward you believers 4100;

2:11 just 2509 as you know 3609a how 5613 we [were] exhorting 3870 and encouraging 3888 and imploring 3143 each 1538 one 1520 of you as a father 3962 [would] his own 1438 children 5043,

2:12 so 1519 that you would walk 4043 in a manner 516 worthy 516 of the God 2316 who calls 2564 you into His own 1438 kingdom 932 and glory 1391.

2:13 ¶ For this 3778 reason 1223 we also 2532 constantly 89 thank 2168 God 2316 that when you received 3880 the word 3056 of God 2316 which 3739 you heard 191 from us, you accepted 1209 [it] not [as] the word 3056 of men 444, but [for] what 2531a it really 230 is, the word 3056 of God 2316, which 3739 also 2532 performs 1754 its work 1754 in you who believe 4100.

2:14 For you, brethren 80, became 1096 imitators 3402 of the churches 1577 of God 2316 in Christ 5547 Jesus 2424 that are in Judea 2453, for you also 2532 endured 3958 the same 846 sufferings 3958 at the hands 5259 of your own 2398 countrymen 4853, even 2531a as they [did] from the Jews 2453,

2:15 who both 2532 killed 615 the Lord 2962 Jesus 2424 and the prophets 4396, and drove 1559 us out. They are not pleasing 700 to God 2316, but hostile 1727 to all 3956 men 444,

2:16 hindering 2967 us from speaking 2980 to the Gentiles 1484 so 2443 that they may be saved 4982; with the result that they always 3842 fill 378 up the measure 378 of their sins 266. But wrath 3709 has come 5348 upon them to the utmost 5056.

2:17 ¶ But we, brethren 80, having been taken 642 away 642 from you for a short 2540 5610 while 5610—in person 4383, not in spirit 2588—were all 4053 the more 4053 eager 4704 with great 4183 desire 1939 to see 3708 your face 4383.

2:18 For we wanted 2309 to come 2064 to you—I, Paul 3972, more 2532 1364 than 2532 once 530—and [yet] Satan 4567 hindered 1465 us.

2:19 For who 5101 is our hope 1680 or 2228 joy 5479 or 2228 crown 4735 of exultation 2746a? Is it not even 2532 you, in the presence 1715 of our Lord 2962 Jesus 2424 at His coming 3952?